The Most Relevant Reasons Why Granite is a Top Material for a Kitchen Worktop

The kitchen plays a significant role in any home; it's a gathering spot where you and your family can spend time together, and it's a place where you can prepare special meals for your loved ones. It can even be a work area where your children can do their schoolwork and where you can make your list of chores and errands while relaxing with a hot cup of tea. But the design of your kitchen is central to your kitchen's beauty and functionality, and the design includes the worktop you choose. The worktop you select for your kitchen can make a big difference. So, what's the best worktop for your kitchen? A lot of people have opted for granite for years, and there are many reasons behind this popular choice. Here are the most relevant reasons why granite is a top material for a kitchen worktop.

It adds value

You may not know it, but if you choose a granite worktop for your kitchen, it can add value to your home. We're speaking here about monetary value, mind you. If you ever sell your home in the future, a granite worktop allows you to increase the price of your home as it serves as a great selling element. It’s a home element that many home buyers appreciate.

It is durable

In terms of all-natural stone, granite is arguably one of the toughest and most durable. It's immensely durable and can last for years and years, and if it is properly sealed, it can be heat resistant as well as resistant to scratches as well.

It has a beautiful, natural appeal

Unlike other materials such as stainless steel, granite has a wonderful appeal and is most certainly one of the most beautiful materials around. No two slabs are alike, as any specialist in granite such as experts in kitchen worktops in Dublin would tell you, so you have the advantage of a truly unique piece of workmanship in your kitchen.

It is easy to maintain

As mentioned, if your granite worktop is regularly and properly sealed, you don't have to worry about how to maintain it. All you need is water and gentle dishwashing liquid to wipe it down and keep it looking clean and shiny. Granite worktops aren't porous, either, which makes them less prone to the buildup of grime, dirt, and bacteria. As long as you wipe up spills right away, your granite worktop can maintain its sheen and sparkle.

A perfectly smooth surface

Granite's smooth surface makes it perfect for certain chores such as baking; it's the ideal surface for making pasta, cookies, or cakes. Granite is highly recommended for baking activities, particularly when compared to marble, which can be quite porous.

It is easy to repair

If your granite worktop becomes damaged or scratched for some reason, it is quite easy to repair it without you having to replace the entire slab. Of course, repair is best done by the experts, but you don’t have to worry about minor repairs as granite is easy to work with as well. 

Tips for DIY Home Renovations This Summer

With the warmer temperatures, the sunny weather and the fresh air, summer is a wonderful thing. Now that it's so nice outside, you might be hoping to tackle some home improvements both indoors and outdoors. Keeping these things in mind can help you while you tackle this home improvement journey.

image:pixabay.com/en/lawnmower-gardening-lawn-mower-2786525

Landscaping is Important

If you have not done so already, you may want to pay some attention to your landscaping. After all, not only do you probably want your yard to look nice, but it's also important to keep your landscaping up so that you can prevent pests and weed overgrowth.

Of course, cutting your grass, pruning your shrubs and trimming your trees is important. However, now is also a good time to spread mulch, plant a flower garden and even plant a tree or an herb garden.

Give Your Home's Exterior a Quick Facelift

Even if you don't have a ton of money for a huge renovation on the outside of your home, there are a few things that you can do to freshen your home's exterior up. Cleaning your gutters to get rid of leaves, limbs and debris from the winter can help you improve the look of your home and help you ensure that the water is able to run off of your roof during the summer storms.

Additionally, don't underestimate the power of a little bit of paint. Applying touch-up paint to the outside of your home’s trim and even a fresh front door color can help you improve its overall appearance. Also, consider repainting and numbering your mailbox for a clean fresh look.

Focus on Deep Cleaning

If you didn't quite get around to spring cleaning during the springtime, now is a great time to do it. Clean your windows, walls, baseboards, ceilings, light fixtures and anything else in your home that might not have been cleaned in a while. Then, you will be able to enjoy a nice, sparkling clean home when you come back inside after enjoying your favorite outdoor activities.

Don't Start Projects That You Can't Finish

If you are excited about getting started with a home project, you should keep in mind you might be prone to starting something that you can't finish anytime soon. It can be easy to start too many projects at once, which can leave you feeling overwhelmed and can leave you with too little time to get everything done. Instead, make sure that you will be able to complete a project before you start it, and don't have too many projects going at one time.

Stay Safe

Of course, the primary thing that you should be concerned about when it comes to your summer projects is safety. For one thing, consider any projects that may need to be done to improve the safety of your home, such as checking your home outlets, repairing any faulty steps on your porch and more. Additionally, when you are working on your projects, make sure that you do them the safe way; for example, focusing on ladder safety when you're cleaning your gutters and ensuring that you turn off the breaker at the breaker box before working with anything electrical.

As you can see, there are a few things that you can focus on when doing do-it-yourself home renovations this summer. Keep these tips in mind, and you can be extremely successful with your home projects this summer.

Related article: Getting to know home basement

Author Bio:

Annie Grace Wilson is a Public Relations Specialist for Crawlspace Depot. She regularly produces content for a variety of blogs that cover topics from cleaning and organizing tips to home maintenance DIY projects

4 Things You Have to Settle Before Moving to a New Home

Moving can be extremely stressful. You need to do the whole routine all over again, from taking note of where the groceries are, what routes you’ll choose to and from work, and where the best places to order food will be. Though moving is a challenging task, it doesn’t have to be hell especially for those who take the time to prepare beforehand to make sure that everything works out better than planned. Here are four tips that can help you with your move, whether large or small.

Getting a mortgage

Before you sign off on that deal with the property owners, you need to ensure that you have the best mortgage deal that your money can buy. One of the more familiar options is dealing with banks to secure your mortgage for you, but they often come in a one-size-fits-all format and disregard local real estate interest rates related to where you’ll be residing in the future.

It doesn’t hurt to have a helping hand when it comes to your finances. Consultancy services such as those at Mortgage Wise allow for clients to scour individual lenders that provide way more diverse options in payment and loan procedures. Having a middleman helps you in making crucial long-term decisions, such as securing a mortgage, and will be worth the retainer fee to your insurance broker.

Preparing ahead

As with anything in life, moving shouldn’t be a compulsive decision. Chances are you’ll be moving without having enough time to yourself to think about the move while doing your regular tasks. Your best bet is making a list of tasks and activities to do bit by bit until the day that you must move; this allows you to not get too overworked in dealing with the move and gives you enough time to relocate. Take the time to schedule your moving tasks at least six months before moving day.

Packing your things

One of the more important tasks when it comes to moving is packing your valuables. Take this much-needed opportunity to segregate which items you’ll be keeping and which ones you can give away or even sell. It’s better to pack light for the move and will also lessen your costs if you need to contract a mover.

Contracting movers

After having your list of belongings secured, it’s time to call the movers. Even if you have your car, you might have to make multiple trips to transport all your valuables, especially your furniture. Sourcing the best deal you can get for movers depending on where they’ relocated can make a big difference when it comes to their rates, it’s best to look for movers at least a month before the assigned move date so that you can take note of prices and have enough time to prepare for the move. It never hurts to do a little bit of research to save a whole lot of cash in the long run.

5 Easy Tips for Cleaning Your Home after Your Pets

Anyone who owns a furry friend knows that the unconditional love a dog or a cat can give is enough to make them a part of the family. And like any other member of the family, they do tend to make a mess around the home.

Keeping your home clean with pets can be challenging, which is why many homeowners hire professional cleaning services like No More Chores to do it for them. But cleaning after your pet does not have to be a nightmare if you know the proper ways to do it.

Read on to learn about 5 tips and tricks that will make your pet cleaning chores much easier to complete.

Use a Rubber Glove

One trick professional cleaners use that can make cleaning after your pets so much easier involves a simple rubber glove. Put on the glove and get the palm just a little wet and run it over fabrics where the most of their fur piles up.

The trick is simple – the static electricity easily pulls the fur away from your furniture, beddings or other fabrics. After you’re done simply wrap the glove and toss it away. Use a lint roller to collect any fur you might have missed.

Use Baking Soda to Deodorize

Pour some baking soda over the carpet and other surfaces you vacuum regularly to kill those nasty pet odors.

Combine the baking soda with some essential oil your pet feels comfortable with and use it whenever you vacuum to get rid of the smells.

Apply the baking soda 20 minutes before vacuuming, then proceed to vacuum the surfaces thoroughly.

Groom Outside

Whenever you take your dog or cat outside for a walk or some fresh air, use the chance to groom them. Grooming them in your home can make a terrible mess you’ll have to clean later. Doing so outside will be so much easier since all the fur will just go its own way.

This will prevent the fur from piling up indoors, which can be counterproductive since it’s the reason you’re grooming your pet in the first place.

Grooming your pet also gives you a chance to scan their fur for any issues like ticks, scabs or cuts.

Use Microfiber for Furniture

Just like the rubber glove can do wonders for fabrics, microfiber can do the same for other furniture like shelves, the TV or coffee tables. The principle is the same: the static electricity pulls the hairs and dander more efficiently than a rag ever could.

A microfiber cloth will also help you reach the seemingly unreachable surfaces fan blades, light fixtures, and vents. Apart from pet fur, you’ll also pick up dangerous allergens that can affect humans and pets alike.

Use a UV Black-light to Scan for… Potty Stains

They might be a huge thing in nightclubs, but black-lights can be extremely useful for pet owners too. You can find LED black-lights cheap online or in local stores.

They can help you detect old potty stains. You may not be able to see them, but in most cases, you can most definitely smell them. And the longer it remains uncleaned, the worse it gets.

After you’ve detected a stain, use an enzyme-based cleaning product whether off the shelf or natural to remove any scents from your pets. Pets tend to get back to the scene of the crime often, so the sooner you remove the stain the better.